c_fioridev_21 Certification experience

With the rampant implementation of SAP HANA globally, it is inevitable that everyone will move to Fiori as the front end. I knew that I have to take baby steps and remain persistent at the same time.

My preparation started in the last quarter of 2020 by training(since learning is better when you train) for my IBM ABAP project colleagues who are working remotely from the Philippines. Covid was not a hindrance and felt more productive through Webex. I took sessions on the following topics(each 30 mins and uploaded to IBM lighthouse).

1. oData:                                16 sessions
2. HTML,CSS, JavaScript: 19 sessions
3. Fiori & SAPUI5:               22 sessions

Fiori and SAPUI5 sessions were taken during the first quarter of this year(2021)

The 22 sessions on SAPUI5 were focused on understanding the walkthrough which is available in the documentation part of  https://sapui5.hana.ondemand.com/.

 

By this time I felt that I am confident enough to tackle the Fiori certification. However, I had to take a break from Fiori and SAPUI5  due to another training related to IBM consulting academy which lasted for 7 weeks.

After this period I was able to get a free certification voucher from IBM( by Emailing about my story related to my preparation ) on the condition that I will get certified on or before 26 Aug 2021.

 

In order to pass the exam, we are expected to read and learn the following books from the SAP learning hub

 

UX402 (316 pages)

UX410 (250 pages)

UX403 (295 pages)

UX100(210 pages)

 

Due to the overwhelming number of pages, I decided to focus only on UX402 and UX410 since the topic breakup conveys that I can score approximately 80% with those alone.

 

With 2 months remaining, I started reading only to realized that what I knew is only the tip of the iceberg. It was a classical "Dunning Kruger effect" (psychology). I started reading slowly planning to cover 20 pages per day to digest the concepts properly. I also started looking into many youtube videos and opensap.com video courses at the same time.

 

I scheduled my first attempt 20 days before my second attempt so that I can prepare accordingly once again if I fail. However, with focus and dedication, I was able to gain confidence and clear it in the first attempt with a 76% score.

Following is the breakup of my score

1	Elements and SmartControls	78%
2	Deployment and Testing	83%
3	SAP Fiori Architecture Overview	100%
4	SAPUI5 Foundations	81%
5	SAP Fiori Strategy, Standards and Guideline	89%
6	oData and Advanced Data Handling	57%
7	Extensibility in SAPUI5	57%
8	SAP HANA Cloud Platform and Web IDE Basics	100%
9	LaunchPad Configuration	75%

Challenges I faced while preparing

1. Trail version of Cloud-based SAP Web IDE was no more available after June 30 2021 and it became impossible to practice and revisit the coding.
2. Had to learn to use the Trial version of the SAP Business Application studio from scratch.
3. Practice exercises and practice server related to UX402 & UX410 is not available in SAP Learning HUB.
4. Learning Room (SAP User Experience ) doesn't seem to be very active or contributive.

Other learning Resources I utilized

1. Opensap.com: SAP Fiori Overview: Design, Develop and Deploy
2. Opensap.com: Build Your Own SAP Fiori App in the Cloud – 2016 Edition
3. Opensap.com: Understanding SAP Fiori Launchpad
4. Opensap.com: Evolved Web Apps with SAPUI5
5. Opensap.com: Introduction to SAP Fiori UX
6. Youtube: Anubhav Oberoy
7. Youtube: UI5 Community Network
8. Youtube: Genuine Programmer
9. Youtube: Nabheet Madhan
10. Youtube: OpenUI5
11. Practice exercises related to SAP Screen persona, UI Theme designer, Catalog, Groups, and Tiles in Fiori launchpad in SAP Learning Hub.

Conclusion:

In my previous two certification experiences relate to ABAP HANA and modeling in SAP HANA, learning was easier since practice exercises are well structured and learning rooms in the SAP learning hub have valuable contributions.

 

Hope my experience will benefit those who are seeking a similar goal. Cheers.

Going through extremes

Gained 9 kg in 6 months and completed Malnad ultra 50k 2019.

Hard to believe?!! This is my story on how I went steep up hill and down hill in terms of gaining and losing weight which helped me understand how it is so difficult to lose weight through diet and excercise.

It all started after I purchase Sony PS4 during the  beginning of this year. While I was only focusing on playing with it, I was also consuming un healthy food and drinks.

Scientifically, the more heavy you are the more calories it takes to run your body through your daily activities, like pumping blood, keeping the internal organs active like heart, liver, kidney and so on. Hence, if your idle body is consuming 1500 calories per day for daily activity, we should consume food which will aggregate less than 1500 calories in a day to lose weight.

Somehow I was not able to achieve that goal and inactive body makes you crave for more food.

One day(after gaining 9 kg), decided to start running everyday (minimum 5km) with the focus on completing 100 days in 2019. I struggled to even walk the initial 5 kms in the beginning ( could not believe that I was an ultra runner the previous year ). I knew that if I overcome the pain and focus on being consistent I can achieve the goal.

Started logging my daily  run on facebook to stay focused and consistent and when I started it was almost impossible to run even 2 or 3 kms. I ended up walking to cover those extra unfinished miles and since I was very tired I was left with lot of unburned calories.

First 20 days I managed to run 5km to 7km on average and there was no obvious reduction in weight though there was a feel good factor of being more energetic. This was also the period I felt like not running each day, but had to force my mind into doing it. My craving for junk food drinks started reducing a lot and I was eating good portions  of healthy food.

Post 20 days I was running 10 kms every day and maintaining the habit was becoming easier and made me feel more strong and energetic after each passing day. I could not reduce the quantity of food(healthy) intake since it was important for my daily muscle recovery. I observed that I am losing weight at snail pace of 1kg per 10 days if I am covering 100 kms. Not bad, since my target is to complete 100 days of running in this year.

I also had fully body professional massage during my 15th day, 30th day and 60th. Now I  don't feel the need for a massage anymore.

As I am writing this blog I have completed 85 days of running covering a total distance of 871.59 km at an average of 10.25 kms per day.

Average distance every 20 days during my 85 days of running.

Days 1-20	Days 21-40	Days 41-60	Days 61-80	Days 81-85
6.39 km	9.485 km	10.805 km	11.95 km	19.76 km

Malnad Ultra:

I decided to register for malnadultra 50km on my 30th day of running since I was becoming comfortable with my daily runs.  After 84 days and after shedding a lot of weight, I knew that my body is strong enough to conquer the hills and was easily able to finish the ultra run half an hour before the cut off time.

Lessons learned:

If you passionate about something stay focused and remain disciplined to climb up the ladder

From the 50k ultra I had achieved last year if I had maintained my focus,  I probably could have tried 80k or 110k this year.

Always maintain healthy weight and food habit, it is very difficult to lose them and come back to normalcy.

Note: 85 days are not consecutive. Took adequate breaks in between as well.

I will write a separate blog to narrate my malnad ultra 2019 running experience.

Vagamon Ultra 2019

October 13, 2018: As soon as I completed malanad ultra run 50k, I knew I am qualified for the vagamon ultra trail and without wasting much time I registered for the run the very next day.

January 3, 2019: Two more days to go, I was doubtful about even attempting the run since I was already down with flu for more than a week.

January 4, 2019: One more day to go, I felt that my body has recovered enough that I will be able to run comfortably and finish my first 60km event.

January 5, 2019: If you ever want to conquer ultra hill running, you need to practice daily in the hills like the pallvaram hill in chennai. I knew that I lack that training and to make up for it I was running 20km every day.
Today is the day to prove that I can do it. At the same time I was without practice for the past 10 days due to flu, hence the strategy was to ensure finishing before the cut off time without pushing too hard.

Let me highlight different types of hill runners and their usual running strategy.

1. Running with waist bag

You can run with two water bottles and carry other items in the zip pouch like energy gels

2. Running shoulder bag

This type can carry a lot more water and other extra items.

3. Hiking stick

It is useful during steep climbs. However it is still not conclusive that it provides some advantage since you
need to carry it along

4. Running head light

This is typically used by runners running for more than 12 hours.

5. Only bottles

Best strategy according to me is to run with as minimum luggage as possible since it will weigh you down as the distance increases. So I decided to run with only a 300ml water bottle in one hand since the Aid stations were available at every  5km distance. I also had a pair of running sun glasses since the run was mostly in the open. In malanad ultra I was able to run with only a hat since the run was mostly in the shade through the forest.

The run started exactly at 6.30 a.m and since it was a 60km run on a very tough terrain the cut off time was 12 hours. The only option was to walk in most of the places due to thick bushes, loose rocks, steep slopes, narrow bridges and so on.

The first 24 kms were very scenic and the sun was creating a good colorful picture of the whole area.

It was also the most windy period of the run that when I was on top of the paragliding area (the only one in kerala), I imagined flying down with the wind.

Around 19th km it became a steep downward run making it difficult to slow down. Thigh muscles started its real work of deceleration from this point on wards. At 24th km, I had idly, steamed banana,steamed sweet potato and tea.

Time is 10.30 am and the run resumed along on a steep tarmac. This was the most difficult climb of the entire run and now it was just a matter of surviving the sun for next few hours ensuring to continue moving no matter  how tired I became.

At times I felt I should have carried one more bottle since I was feeling very thirsty but apart from the official Aid stations there were local people providing water in between which gave me good relief. At the next Aid station I relished bread with peanut butter which proved very useful.

The next cut -off point was the 43rd km and the cut off time was 3.00 PM. I managed to reach at 2.30 PM. This
was also the rest area where runners could rest and get massage. Surprisingly I was not tired. After having some
curd rice I decided to move ahead without wasting time. The next Aid station was at the 50th km and I was misled into understanding that it will be at the 48th km. I was running without water for close to 2 kms. Once I reached the Aid station I quenched my thirst and confirmed that the next aid station will be after 5km.

Now it was about just moving ahead with the pain all over the leg and body and ensuring to complete the run.
 Finally half an hour before cut off I managed to finish the run ranking 57 out of 117. 36 did not finish the run
 either due to being too slow or due to missing the trail and wasting time or giving up.

At the finishing point I got my medal and proceeded towards the open gathering for further refreshment.
Dinner tasted even more amazing later during the night.

It was my third ultra run and the best in terms of the beauty, challenges and the pampering provided at each
 and  every Aid station. Well done Soles of Cochin.

Experience of running 50k Malnad Ultra 2018

This is my second ultra 50k run  after my kodaikanal ultra 2017. Though I've never run a full marathon(42k), ultra is more challenging in the form of uneven terrain, steep elevation change, change of weather, leeches( if you are in such place on a rainy day).

Understanding your body is the key to success. I have been running 10k every day and each day gave me a new perspective about my state of mind, endurance, speed and nutrition.

The cut-off time for Malnad Ultra was 9 hours. That meant finishing the run before 4 P.M once the race starts at 7 a.m.

Before the race a good sleep plays an important role to having a fresh body and mind, and I was able to achieve it unlike my previous Ultra run.

After waking up, we reached the running venue at 4.30 a.m.

Organizers ensured that breakfast was enough and nutritious for each and every runner, thus providing the required fuel to run the first 20 km without much pain and struggle.

Cut-off time to reach the 17th km summit point was 11 a.m., yet I had reached by 9.30 am. It was a steep downhill run for the next 5k and running downhill at a fast pace is a risky move since it will affect the thighs and knees very badly during the later stage of the run. However, I decided to run fast, trusting my muscles to remain strong.

Beyond 30k running became tough. Walking and intermittent running kept me moving ahead. Started feeling hungry for the first time between 30k and 40k. Knowing that my body can't easily digest food while I am running, eating very little and slowly became the key. Munched few biscuits and sipped water to swallow.

My sole and thighs were begging for rest, yet my mind said "pain is temporary accomplishment is permanent". Unlike all previous editions of malnad ultra the sun was strong and hot causing more thirst. There was no water for any runner at one particular Aid Station. Took a piece of lemon that I saw and started squeezing it to quench my thirst while I pushed ahead.

At 41st km food was being served on a beautiful lakeside. I still had 2.15 hours to finish my run. Not knowing the challenge ahead I decided to eat some lemon rice, which also provided some time for me to relax. With the newly gained vigor and energy I continue along the lake side to reach a very steep uphill run. The initial few steps sapped all my energy. Now my body is working on digesting my food as well as providing energy to each and every part of my body. With heart pumping very fast, I started moving at snail pace. It felt like ages before I reached the top.

But there is no relief, since the downhill run has also become painful (probably due to the mistake of running downhill too fast earlier ). Having 1.5 hrs to complete 7 k was the saving grace. The walk also started becoming painful. However to reach before cut-off time, intermittent running was ensured.

At the last 5 km it again became an uphill run/walk and I saw many using sticks from the road side to support their walk. I too tried for some distance and decided to avoid it, as I was already holding a bottle. This time frequency of drinking water/juice/energy drink increased and the there was only 1 hour left to complete the run.

Doubt crept into my mind. Will I make it on time? After this much struggle it will be a shame not to reach the finishing point with only few kilometers remaining.

With just 2k to cover and 30 mins remaining the terrain became flat. This is a runners paradise. Patting my own shoulder, I started running/walking fast to reach the finishing line 15 minutes before the cut off time.

Thanks  to all volunteers, organizers, supporters, fellow runners. It is a life changing experience and I am craving for more already.

C_HANAIMP_13 Certification Experience

I got certified in c_hanaimp_13. This involves preparation from 
books ha300 and ha100.

Following is the breakup of my score

1	optimization of model	100%
2	Management and administration of models	38%
3	Security in SAP HANA	100%
4	Modeling functions	80%
5	Consumption	20%
6	Architecture, deployment and use cases	88%
7	Information views	73%
8	Data provisioning	100%
9	Virtual data model	80%
10	SQL & SQL Script	88%
11	Advanced Data processing	100%

Topic 1: I already work in this area and is easy to relate both 
theoretically and practically.

Topic 2: Modeling in SAP Web IDE for SAP HANA. Basically 
questions were scenario based, hence I scored less despite having 
read a lot.

I am also waiting to see my client changing from hana studio to 
Web IDE for SAP HANA since SAP is heavily recommending it.

Topic 3: Analytic privilege is interesting  with practicals possible
in Hana studio.

Topic 4: I am practically doing most of the things at work except 
Level hierarchy and Parent-child hierarchy. Took me a some time 
to understand those concepts. Finally successful practical execution
 with excel as front end  tool helped.

Topic 5: Need to admit that preparation was not enough and the 
topic was not very interesting since it required learning about each 
and every front end tools and their features. Probably I thought
it is best to focus on topics which I am already comfortable in.

Topic 6: Easy and interesting to read and understand the concepts.

Topic 7: I work a lot in this area but there are lot of scenarios which 
I never face during work. Read a lot and tried at the same time. 
Very interesting

Topic 8: Out of interest, I was able to do some practical exercises
on SLT, Data services, SDA many months ago. But one can still 
score 100% from the book alone.

Topic 9: Was able to get a look and feel from a learning remote 
system. However that remote system did not have an option to 
experiment on SAP HANA Live browser and SAP HANA Live 
extension tool. Was depending on videos to understand the
concept.

Topic 10: I was learning additionally from HA150 to understand
in detail. Very interesting especially since we can play around 
fully in SQL Console

Topic 11: For text search, text analysis and text mining I was able
to watch few youtube videos and practice on HANA studio and it
becomes very interesting once you complete the exercise.

For the remaining topics like Geospatial, Predictive Models and 
Graph, the practical application is huge, hence the new version 
c_hanaimp_14 covers this in more detail in a separate book ha301.
It was easy theory based questions for me from the book

Finally in SAP Learning room for modeling in SAP HANA,
Mark green(Instructor) has created lot of videos with explanations. 
For topics on which I couldn't try any practicals, I was going through 
the videos again and again.

c_hanaimp_14 may be heavily based on SAP Web IDE for SAP HANA,
hence I decided to focus on c_hanaimp_13 for now.

My experience with a Murderer.

 8/2/2017: Today I heard the shocking NEWS about the mystery of the missing 7 year old girl.

She was murdered by a mechanical engineer aged 22 for reason not clear. Could have either  been a rape or an attempt to demand ransom.

In my office there was a heavy discussion about this incident and due to my busy work, I did not focus on it, though I had skimmed through the topic on some news website.

As I was cycling back home I started connecting the dots.

Age 22.....Mechanical engineer.....Near greens super market....

could it be.......

I reached home to tell my wife that this guy sounds exactly like the guy with whom I have been playing badminton for the past 2 years. After verifying the name we were both shocked. Yes it was him!!!

Flash back 2 years ago....

I had been playing badminton regularly for few months in a recently opened badminton court, few meters away from my apartment.

This guy was also a part of the routine and knowing that I am a good player he would bet with others in the court that he will defeat me in a match.

Against me(probably only against me), he was always getting defeated, but his aggression and never say die attitude ( the way he used to run, dive and fall ) was fascinating for the on lookers to the extent that anyone  would wonder; is he Mad?.

He was a good player with over emotion, that would make many think that he is a psycho( which made it fun and interesting for me ).

Probably his determination to improve his badminton skills made him call me regularly to play at 7 PM in the evening.

This went on for few month when suddenly he would disappear and appear after a short/long hiatus.

Due to following reasons he used to disappearing and appear  in between

1. Took an overdose of paracetamol due to a love failure. He was admitted in hospital for that reason for many days.(He told me)
2. Had a bike accident and had to stitch his legs(evident)
3. Was taken to the police station by his lovers' parents.(He told me)
4. Was beaten-up by the local people for visiting his girlfriend against the wishes of her parents(He told me)
5. Had another bike accident which affected his knee cap.(evident)

Most recently we were playing regularly during the last quarter of 2016. But after a month, again he stopped appearing in the badminton court.

Last week our common badminton colleague( I will name him R), revealed that this guy had stolen his bike and through CCTV he was caught and beaten up by lawyers(not police) until he admitted his guilt.

According to R, this guy never showed any sign of remorse when he was being beaten up continuously for 2 hours.

Today……

Looking back at all the odd behavior and  incidents  that he had gone through, it was predictable that he is becoming extremely unpredictable and deranged. 

PS: I am deleting the part where I have made a judgment that his parents should have taken necessary precaution. I think, it is not right for me to make such judgment since I don't know about their relationship which spanned 22 years.

14/02/2017: I saw many comments that he should be hanged in social media. The intention of hanging ( according to many ) is to scare the perpetrators. I am not sure if that can be applied in this case, since he was mentally unstable, from the routine that I have observed (though not conclusive).

He was also capable enough to plan each and every act of disguising himself as a good neighbor searching for the lost kid along with the police in the initial few days. That makes also makes us wonder, isn't it planned and deliberate.

Even though I have seen him for 2 years, I never understood him properly.  I hope that police with necessary investigation can lead them to right conclusion for the appropriate punishment.

I also hope that it is not like a case in the English movie " The Shawshank redemption".

Christmas and New Year in Goa

It started when Ivan(my brother) asked(1 month before X'mas) what do we do during X'mas vacation. we said Goa and didn't think anything further. I usually plan my trip many months in advance but planning in short notice was a new exciting activity.  He booked his train ticket from Alapuzha Kerala and I booked my flight from chennai in such a way we will meet each other in Goa on 27th December.

I reached Goa on 26th afternoon and took a prepaid taxi from the Govt authorized counter for Rs 760. After reaching hotel near colva beach, I got a person to rent me a car(which I used for the entire 5 days) early before midnight by paying little extra money. This was useful since I could go to the madgoa railway station at 2.30 am to pick up my brother.

27/12/2016: We woke up early morning and drove to colva beach at 9.30 am. We hired a speed boat which took us for dolphine sightings. I went with my nephew(Appu) for the parashoot gliding while all others had their fun in one shack on the beach.

In the evenning we went to another beech which seemed better and happening since the parashoot gliding was closer to the beach. My Son and Appu were running and playing in this beach.

Due to abundant shacks we didn't have to worry about food. we had early dinner which included two lobsters( could be half kg each) worth 2000 Rs each. After dinner went to our rooms and slept early.

28/12/2016: We woke up early drove the car to panjim after breakfast. There we first visited the science museum. After spending 2 hours we went to a near by restaurant for lunch. After lunch we went to Birds sanctuary. This Bird sanctuary in panjim is a straight forward location where you can go by taking the chorao Ferry. We were unfortunate to follow the google navigation which took us via Mandovi Bridge. We kept searching for an entry to the Bird sanctuary for almost 2 hours before we reached another ferry point (Pombupa Ferry terminal). 

After crossing the ferry, the experience was not bad since driving through the Chorao Island felt like an bird safari. When we reached Chorao Ferry Terminal, I drove the car directly into the ferry which was already waiting. This was a big mistake since the entry to the bird sanctuary was at the same ferry point. We anyhow suppressed our disappointment and continued our journey back to colva beach. In Colva beach the shacks were busy with lights and music along with special tablew with candle light dinner.

29/12/2016: we hired one more car in the morning, since we had to move into another hotel(fidalgo) in panjim with all the luggage.

Since the check in time was 2 PM, we dumped our luggage at the hotel reception and proceeded to Aguada Fort and Chapora Fort taking the Mandovi Bridge, though the fastest and best option is to take a ferry from Panaji Ferry Terminal. We had our lunch in a shack on the way after seeing Aguada Fort.

Chapora Fort is the best fort to visit in my opinion since the climb will test your stamina. The accomplishment combined with panoramic vast view of the entire Goan sea, islands and ships will give you a sense of satisfaction. On our return to our hotel in panjim we got into a shack in candolim beach. We had a bed to sit facing the sea and at 7 pm few ladies came offering to massage legs and back. It was a worthy deal and experience.

After our dinner we went back to our hotel but since the time was 11 pm the return ferry was closed and we had to go over the bridge(the route we took to come).

30/12/2016: Our hotel is close to the shore of panjim so Nicky, Ethan and I decided to walk early morning after free buffet breakfast towards the shore. When we reached the shore we saw that the ferry is already docked and about to leave. Without thinking much we ran/walked towards it to take a free two way ride on it enjoying the view from the edge of the ferry. Once we were back we decided to enquire about offers and schemes provided by all the casino since their office counters were on the shore itself. My personal preference was Deltin Royal, since that has the best review in tripadvisor.com. It is also the most expense one probably since they hire performers from Bollywood. However after further enquiry we decided to enter casino pride since they were charging only Rs 2000 per head in which one will get Rs 1500 worth of playing chips, free lunch and dinner with unlimited drinks on the gambling arena. It also has the best kids playing area and unlimited shuttling between shore and Docked ship(were the casino is located) until 6 AM the next day.

Since we had close to 3 hours before noon, nicky stayed back in the hotel with Ethan, while rest of us went to visit

Basilica of Bom Jesus 10 kms away from panjim. There is a Wax museum located few meters away from this church.

After we came back to hotel we changed our clothes since a proper dress code is needed to enter the casino.

After paying money by credit card a small boat took us to the casino ship. We had our lunch and since I have never gambled before, I was afraid of losing all the chips without getting a sip of free drink inside. I decide to play safe using mathematical 50/50 probability to learn gambling and enjoy the drinks.

It worked, we were able to play for a very long time without losing or gaining much money and at one stage we won Rs 3000. Using the free shuttle I left the casino to drop my wife and son back in the hotel and came back to gamble again. After 7 PM the crowd started pouring in. The illumination both from the ship and surroundings augmented by the water reflection made it more appealing. Stage performance with free dinner was happening on the roof of the ship. I had to bring my wife and kid back again for the dinner using the free shuttle. When Nicky realized what she had missed I was made to take care of Ethan while she went around gambling with Ivans' help.

31/12/2016: By 2 am after dropping her in hotel, I came back to gamble.  I kept gambling till 5 am while my brother decided to quit by 3 am. We were able to make close to 2400 Rs worth of chips which was exchanged at the counter for money.

I woke up at 9 am and after breakfast we decided to pack up to catch the flight at 2:30 pm. Ivan and family had to catch their train only in the evening at 7:30 PM from madgao but since their train was late by 5 hours their new year even celebration was held in colva beech.

While we reached chennai by 5 pm, Ivan and family continued their fun till they finally boarded their train at 1.30 am on 1/1/2017.

It was literally a Happy New year for all of us!